


oh academia

by vatonages



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, they're study buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 21:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vatonages/pseuds/vatonages
Summary: Of all places, Renjun finds love in a study lounge.





	oh academia

Renjun isn’t  _ fucking around,  _ okay?

 

He didn’t come to college to make friends, or have one night stands, or drink every weekend and have crazy stories to tell when he gets older, or anything like that. Life’s a competition, and Renjun wants to  _ win.  _ Winning means getting his degree, it means getting the highest grades he is capable of achieving, and of course he’s aiming for that coveted 4.0, his dream. He never aims low. He has high standards. 

 

_ “Too _ high,” Sicheng teases, rolling his eyes. “Come out for barbecue with me and Xuxi,” Renjun shakes his head, writing notes with his eyes trained on his textbook. “Sorry, ask Xiaojun or Guanheng instead. I’m busy,” Sicheng groans, dramatically stretching out on the unoccupied part of Renjun’s bed.

 

“You never hang out with me anymore,” he whines. Renjun shoves his leg away where it’s eclipsed part of the page.

 

“You’re a grown man,” he scolds. “Quit whining. Go eat your barbecue. You’re distracting me,” Sicheng laughs, sitting up.

 

“So mean,” he says. “But fine. You better come with us next time. Do you want bubble tea on the way back?”

 

“Please?” Renjun asks, and Sicheng nods.

 

“I’ll bring it back. Good luck, okay?” Renjun nods.

 

“Thank you,” Renjun calls as Sicheng exits, and hears a hum in response, the door shutting behind him. He really has to finish taking these notes tonight so he can go back and review them tomorrow. He has a system, and Google calendar is basically his god. Sure, he misses fun stuff like eating six times his body weight in meat and side dishes with the guys, but he thinks it might all be worth it one day.

 

He has to hope so at least.

  
  


* * *

 

 

 

He’s never been to the fourth floor study lounge, mostly because he didn’t even know it existed until his friend Mark tells him about it.

 

“Oh yeah,” he says. “It’s great. Spacious, a good temperature, lots of seats. It’s usually pretty packed, but if you get there at the right time you can find a spot.”

 

So Renjun figures 2 AM is as good a time as any, slipping in quietly. There shouldn’t be too many people at this hour, and he just hopes he can get some peace and quiet. His roommate isn’t around too much which leaves him with lots of alone time, but whoever’s in the room next door  _ fucks,  _ and fucks often, and the other people in his suite just never sleep early because all their classes are in the afternoon and they party all night, come in loud and drunk at all hours, so Renjun has to do things like go to a different room on a different floor if he hopes to get anything done. Sad, considering how much Renjun pays to live there.

 

He glances around, thankfully seeing nobody, and sits at a table in the back corner, near the window. Mark warned him it could get a bit chilly in here, so he made sure to wear a hoodie. He’s just pulled his laptop out of his bag when the door opens, and a boy enters timidly and as quietly as possible. Renjun tries not to show that he’s annoyed. It’s going to be harder to focus with someone else in the room, and what if this guy is loud? Sure, he entered politely, but what if he blasts music or types too hard or keeps zipping and unzipping his bag? 

 

Renjun sighs quietly, and the boy heads to a table far away, slowly removing his textbooks with deft fingers, glancing around, glancing at  _ Renjun,  _ wincing when it lands a bit too hard on the table and makes a loud sound. Renjun decides to be a little kinder, because obviously the boy is trying. Maybe Renjun is the intruder here, after all. For all Renjun knows, this boy comes every night and it’s Renjun who’s inconveniencing him.

 

Renjun gets his paper done, but it takes a bit longer than he’d like. The guy doesn’t look at him, doesn’t play loud music or type too loud, but he still finds another way to distract Renjun.

 

He’s so beautiful that Renjun finds himself sneaking frequent glances.

 

When Renjun gets up to leave, the boy is still in there, so focused on his books he doesn’t even flinch when the door slams shut. It’s an accident, Renjun distracted again, and Renjun wonders if he’ll be seeing him often. 

 

But no, it shouldn’t matter. Renjun can’t afford to get distracted like that. Not now, not ever. He’s only a first year student, and if he fucks up this early, well, it’s all downhill from here. He can’t afford to think about this boy. From here on out it’s all books, highlighters, and adding events and assignments into his planner. 

 

* * *

 

 

At least it is, until Renjun sees him again. 

 

They study in mutual respectful silence for an hour before one of Renjun’s glances shows him that the boy is falling asleep, nodding off, about to smash that pretty face of his into his textbook. He gives the boy a second to catch himself, wake up on his own, because the boy blinks hard and seems to be okay now, rubs his eyes and keeps on going.

 

But then he looks again, and the boy’s eyes are rolling back into his head, and it’s clear he’s too tired to keep studying. Renjun feels kind of bad for him, so he decides to wake him up. He knows how it feels to push yourself so hard your body can’t keep up. It sucks, even though unfortunately it’s pretty common around here. 

 

“Hey,” he says gently, but it doesn’t rouse the boy from his sleep. He must be exhausted. He scans the boy’s stuff for something with his name on it, and smiles at the victory.

 

“Hey, wake up. Wake up,” he says, shaking the boy a little harder now. “Jeno!” he says, mouth right next to his ear, much louder this time, and the boy startles, sitting up so fast he almost smashes his head into Renjun’s nose.

 

“You fell asleep,” Renjun says gently. “I think you need to call it a night,” Jeno sighs. His eyes are still wide from surprise, cute and pretty and doeish. Sparkly even, but maybe Renjun is getting carried away. He really needs Jeno to leave so he can get his focus back.

 

“Thank you for waking me up,” he says, and his voice is sweet, words slightly slow with sleep. He takes off his glasses to rub at his eyes, sighs.

 

“I guess I really should sleep, huh?” he says, mostly to himself. As he laughs, he turns and makes eye contact with Renjun, and now his eyes are  _ really  _ sparkling, and this time it’s not Renjun’s imagination. Renjun doesn’t laugh with him, but that doesn’t seem to disappoint him or discourage him. Renjun can’t look away. His laugh is a sweet thing, like everything else about him. It’s quiet, a breathy, panting sound like a puppy, full of amusement. 

 

Renjun wants to preserve the moment, keep it encased in glass.

 

“How did you know my name?” Jeno asks, eyebrows raised.

 

“Your notes, there.” Renjun answers with a mischievous grin, pointing. Jeno looks embarrassed, then.

 

“Ah,” he says, nodding to himself. “I see. But I don’t know your name…”

 

“It’s Renjun,” he says. “And it seems like we’re going to be running into each other a lot.”

 

“You’re not going to kick me out of the study lounge, are you?” Jeno jokes. “I was here first! But I guess we could share,” He seems easy enough to get along with. Renjun laughs, humors him.

 

“I don’t mind sharing,” he says. “But the moment you distract me, I’m knocking you out. Got it?” he asks, and Jeno blinks in shock, letting out a surprised laugh. His eyes twinkle again, kind smile finding its place again easily, like it’s used to being there. Renjun wouldn’t be surprised if it were.

 

“Understood, boss,” he says, and then starts packing up. “I’m gonna go to bed now. I think if I slept in one of these chairs I’d wake up shaped like a question mark. See ya!” he says, and Renjun waves him goodbye. He’ll see him again, he’s positive.

 

But Jeno leaving doesn’t make it any easier to focus. It’s infuriating too, because he’s not even doing any of this on purpose.

  
  


* * *

 

 

Jeno leans back to stretch, letting out a content sound when he relaxes again. He taps his nails on a notebook so that they don’t make a sound, paper absorbing the impact, but he chances a few looks in Renjun’s direction, and Renjun can feel them. He stops typing and looks up.

 

“What is it?” he asks Jeno, because he can’t take it anymore.

 

“Are you...hungry, Renjun?” Jeno asks. “I want to walk to the store real quick, get a snack or something. Do you want to come with me? I know you don’t know me that well, it’s okay if-” 

 

Renjun shuts his laptop.

 

“Let’s go,” he says, and Jeno beams.

 

It’s not too cold out, which is good because there’s a gentle and tolerable wind blowing through the air. Jeno walks with his hands in his pockets, smile present on his face the whole time like he’s thinking of funny things with every step and trying not to laugh. 

 

Renjun doesn’t quite understand him yet, know his personality, but he seems easily amused. He’s still learning about him. It distantly occurs to him that Jeno could be dangerous, but he just doesn’t think so, doesn’t get that vibe from a boy who falls asleep out in the open, face deep in a textbook and wants snacks to power his study session, a boy who laughs self consciously after saying anything.

 

“Do you know what you want to eat?” Renjun asks, trying to start conversation. He’s never really been one to struggle with conversation, doesn’t get nervous about it, but he cares more about Jeno liking him than he’d like to admit.

 

“I’m not sure,” Jeno says, frowning. “I thought Pepero, and then I thought goraepab, and then I thought I’d just get some banana milk, but now I really want some ddeokbokki. But that’s not really a snack, is it?” Jeno laughs. “You have to cook it and everything.”

 

“I don’t know,” Renjun shrugs. “You can use the stove in my suite. Nobody cares, all of my roommates are up anyways.” He’s not sure what makes him offer, but he suddenly is very fond of the idea, cozily eating together in his kitchen at 4 in the morning.

 

“Really?” Jeno asks, eyes still wide as he opens the convenience store door, hears the little bell on top jingle as he enters. Renjun thinks he’ll remember him like this for a long time, the door half open, one foot inside, looking at Renjun.

 

“Yeah, of course,” he confirms, and they walk in.

 

* * *

 

They eat ddeokbokki together at the table in Renjun’s kitchen. It’s spicier than other times Renjun has had it, but he handles it well. Jeno laughs in disbelief at how hot it is, drinks water and pretends he’s fine.

 

“Why is it so spicy?” he laughs. “It’s not usually this spicy.” Renjun laughs too. Jeno’s lips are swollen and covered in sauce, his eyes are wet.

 

“You’re crying,” he points out, and Jeno gasps.

 

“Am I?”

 

“You’re totally crying. What a baby,” he laughs, too loud for the hour but it’s fine, because he can hear his roommate on the other side showering and blasting Post Malone. 

 

“I’m a baby?” Jeno jokes, not offended in the slightest. Renjun likes that, that he doesn’t take anything too seriously. “Feed me then,”

 

“Okay, I will,” Renjun says, taking the challenge. The rice cakes are slippery but he manages to get one, moves it around to cover it in sauce. Jeno huffs a surprised laugh.

 

“You’re trying to kill me,” he says.

 

“Not kill you,” Renjun says, smiling sweetly. “Just get you the full flavor. Say ‘Ah,’”, he says, and Jeno dutifully opens his mouth as Renjun pushes the rice cake inside, covering his hand with his mouth as he chews it. They’re a bit too comfortable with each other, maybe. Too familiar. Renjun can’t say he’d let many people into his kitchen, let them use his stove, feed them. 

 

“Good?” Renjun asks, eating one last rice cake and then sucking the remaining sauce off his chopsticks, putting them down. Jeno makes a content sound, and it’s too cute, shouldn’t be so cute.

 

“Thanks for letting me use your stove,” he says, when he’s wiped his mouth and hands. “Let me wash the pan real quick, and then I’ll get going. I’m sorry, it’s late. Did I keep you up?”

 

“You did,” Renjun admits. “But it was fun. Besides, I got to eat and didn’t have to pay for it. I can’t really complain,” Jeno laughs at that too, is always laughing as the hot water is running and he scrubs the sauce off the pan.

 

“I’m glad, then,” he says. “We’ll study for real soon, okay? I won’t distract you,” Funny, Renjun thinks. Jeno always ends up distracting him anyway. 

 

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he replies easily, a joke with himself. Jeno rinses the pan, puts it up to dry, wipes his wet hands on the towel nearby. 

 

“Goodnight, Renjun,” he says, and stays there for a minute like he’s expecting something. A handshake, a hug. His eyes are twinkling in the too-dim orange lighting of the kitchen, like he’s in a still from an indie movie. Maybe Renjun is just reading too much into it, and then Jeno turns around and reaches for the doorknob.

 

“Jeno, wait,” Renjun says, getting up and walking over to him. “Before you go,” A rush of confidence, going up just slightly on his toes to make up for the height difference, a hand cupping Jeno’s jaw, and Renjun kisses him.

 

He waits just long enough before pulling away, and Jeno looks at him in wonder, blinks like a confused child.

 

“Oh,” he says. Renjun laughs at him, his dazed expression.

 

“Yeah,” Renjun says. “Go on, then. It’s late, remember?” Jeno’s caught on now, eyes clearer.

 

“Yeah,” he says. “Goodnight,” Renjun sees him smile as he leaves, content and excited. Renjun is smiling too, something light and fluttery in his heart that he’s not used to feeling.

 

* * *

 

They see each other all the time now, especially in the study lounge in the middle of the night, but sometimes in the kitchen eating late night meals. They kiss when they enter the lounge, have a mutual agreement not to speak so that they can focus on studying. 

 

They’re not always successful, not when they can distract each other without even saying anything, and sometimes they get off task, have to vent their frustrations about the current subject they’re studying or how hard the assignments they’re working on are, but what they’ve got is pretty good, and it works for them. That’s really all Renjun can ask for.

 

When finals come around, they’re all business. They manage to more or less ignore each other, and their relationship doesn’t suffer for it because they’re both the same in that regard, in their work ethic. Renjun was always worried about dating someone, thought he wouldn’t have the time, needed to focus. He never thought it’d work, but it turns out all he needs is someone who understands him and has similar goals. Jeno knows he isn’t ignoring him just to be an asshole when he doesn’t reply to texts, though Jeno rarely texts, and Renjun knows Jeno understands him in that same way. 

 

* * *

 

They collapse on Renjun’s bed after finals and just take a moment to relax. He’s moved into his apartment now. Jeno had worried he’d be leaving the area, but Renjun had been looking for an apartment weeks in advance, interviewed and got accepted without telling anyone. Jeno liked it the moment he entered, said it was cozy. 

 

“You think you did okay?” Jeno asks after a few moments of comfortable silence. “That one test felt like being ambushed and getting beat up on the street, but I think I passed. Maybe.”

 

“Hard to tell. I also had a test like that,” Renjun says. He closes his eyes hard. His brain hurts. “I don’t wanna think about it. We won’t know til grades get posted anyways, right? Let’s get bubble tea or something. Let me take you on a date. We haven’t really had a chance to, you know, since we got together right before it was crunch time for exams. My bad,” he says, and Jeno laughs.

 

“You’re going to buy me black milk tea? That’s so romantic. Oh, Renjun, you’re so dreamy,” he singsongs, craning his neck to kiss Renjun on the cheek. He gets intercepted, Renjun turning his head just in time for the kiss to meet his lips, and he kisses Jeno slow and deep. It’s the first time, the first time they’ve  _ had  _ time. 

 

“I sure am. I might even get you food, too.” He pecks Jeno on the mouth again, pushes his fingers through Jeno’s hair. “You’ve worked hard, baby.” he says, because it’s true. Jeno likes to downplay it, but he was in there every night writing furiously, color coding, mouthing things to himself, typing. Renjun had been too invested in his own work for it to really sink in, but thinking back to it now, Jeno really worked so hard. His heart hurts to think of it. He hopes he gets the results he deserves.

 

What he doesn’t notice is Jeno’s face getting warm as he buries it in Renjun’s neck out of embarrassment. It must have been the pet name, something Renjun said without putting too much thought into it, and it makes a smug grin spread across Renjun’s face.

 

“What’s wrong, baby?” he asks, and feels Jeno try to hide even more, though it’s impossible. Renjun laughs. 

 

“Come on,” he says, patting Jeno on the shoulder. He’s had his fun teasing him by now. “Get up, it’s bubble tea time.” That gets Jeno up instantly, which makes Renjun snort. Renjun is standing up, finally removing himself from the warm and comfortable bed and the temptation to sleep.

 

“You worked hard too,” Jeno says softly. Renjun almost doesn’t hear him, focused on getting his wallet and keys.

 

“Thanks,” Renjun says, flustered despite how easily he replies. “Come over when it’s results day?” Jeno nods. They’ll see their final grades together, the same way they studied to get them.

 

* * *

  
  


Jeno is there with his laptop, sitting next to Renjun as they open up the page. They’re holding hands, one typing in log-in info while the other squeezes hard. Jeno is shaking a little, and Renjun is just as nervous but trying not to be. 

 

Renjun shouts, sees his grades across the screen, a neat little column of As. There’s an ugly little A-, but he’s not concerned about it, just happy with what he sees. He’s flooded with joy and relief, and then looks over to Jeno, biting his lip in concentration and with furrowed brows as the site loads. Renjun sets his laptop aside and watches the screen with him, waiting.

 

The page flashes white and then the grades are all there, his straight As that he was so worried about, that he gave up sleep for. Renjun and him scream at the same time, make eye contact for one incredible, joy filled moment before they kiss hard. Renjun never thought he’d get a kiss like that, one so full of happiness and energy, something so pure and relieved and hopeful. 

 

“Renjun,” Jeno says frantically. “How are yours?”

 

“Look!” Renjun says, turning the laptop to Jeno. Jeno screams again, hugging him, just narrowly avoiding crushing the laptop.

 

“We did it,” he says, eyes sparkling again. Not in the too dim kitchen lighting, but in the natural light of Renjun’s room with the curtains open. Renjun pulls Jeno into his chest, pets his hair.

 

“We did, huh? Guess studying does pay off.” Jeno hums.

 

“I’m so glad we both ended up in that study lounge. Hey, we should celebrate.” he says, excited.

 

“Wanna get sushi and drinks?” Renjun asks. “I think we deserve it.” Jeno nods.

 

“Perfect,” he smiles. Renjun takes in his face, the curve of his philtrum, his bone structure, his kind eyes.

 

“I was thinking pretty much the same thing,” Renjun says, and hopes they’ll have many more days like this.

 

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! ^_^ it's been a while...have been unable to stop thinking abt study buddy bfs renjun and jeno *__* hope you enjoyed this! hopefully i can get back to posting more frequently. i've just been busy with a lot of stuff <3


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